A Short Tribute

"Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, by the houses of their fathers, by their families". I have the honor and pleasure of being a guest in the City of Settlements which has, thank God, grown to become an important city. This city holds many hopes, as reflected by its name Petach Tikva (Gateway to Hope) and many look to it with a goodly eye, full of good hopes that its population will grow more and spread to the east, west, north and south, and that it will become a major city in Israel. This includes my friends and brethren, Jews of the Orient and the saintly Sephardi community, who dwell in this city. Make an effort and be strong about this gateway, you who open the gates and upon whom high hopes, encouragement and prosperity depend. Maintain the honor, progress and reputation of the Sephardi and Oriental Jews, please. Recall those of past generations, our forefathers, who held high public positions. Among them were the greatest Torah scholars of the nation of Israel, geonim and poets, whose names were the glory of the entire House of Israel.

This verse, from this week's Reading Portion, can serve as an indication: "Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, by the houses of their fathers, by their families", those "sons of Gershon" who came from the Spanish Exile, "Take also the sum" – note the source of their origins, and be quick to reinstate the glory or the past. To those who head the community, I read this verse, "Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, by the houses of their fathers, by their families" – meaning: Appoint leaders for the community, this is no partisan matter - "by the houses of their fathers, by their families" – appointing a head for every household and a president for every tribe is the method of all our saintly communities.